Intu-Art

Intu-Art gives South African artists a stage upon which to display their unique talent. Made in Africa, Inspired by Africa.

In keeping with the idea of using talented people and offering them a place to utilize their talents Bev Graney started Artists of Africa with just a few artists. Starting with less than a basic knowledge of ceramics, Bev and her son Darren developed the idea of using available talent and built up a small community of artists who are now able to use their skills to provide the artists with an outlet and a good source of income.

From just a few plates, a borrowed kiln, and lots of help and advice from many kind and wonderful people, Artists of Africa now runs a busy factory, filled with a variety of beautiful objects and a lot of happy people. Starting with three workers, we now employ 40 staff members, of whom 30 are artists, 3 potters, 1 glazer and 6 factory workers all from local communities. As these works are entirely original and cannot be mass produced, the design and execution of each piece is left to the individual artist, being able to freely express their creativity. The Team, as we have come to think of ourselves, is committed to bringing you hand painted ceramic articles of the highest quality under the banner of ‘Intu-Art’.

More artists have now surfaced through word of mouth and training by the senior artists has enabled them to join the Intu-Art family. This vibrant team now makes entirely unique works of art. Artists from all corners of South Africa have been commissioned to craft their unique interpretation of Africa. Vibrant and colorful, each piece depicts a story, either African folklore or a personal experience. This creative process, along with pride in original design, ensures that no two pieces are ever alike. Signed by the artist, your Intu-Art masterpiece is yours alone. Quality is the cornerstone of our creativity, and this includes the material we use. Crafted from quality clay, our gallery and tableware pieces are tempered in state-of-the-art kilns and finished in non-toxic paint. Quality control points are carefully monitored to ensure consistently high standards.

Our range includes contemporary tableware with an ethnic flavor, as well as our prized gallery pieces. Our tableware range combines practicality with authentic African artistry, and is ideal for everyday use. Each piece is hand-painted by one of 19 artists and is a unique work of art. All our pieces are painted using lead-free paint and are microwave and oven safe. Our gallery pieces rekindle traditional craft with avant-garde design to produce showcase works of art. Every once in a while a work of art comes out that is a step above the rest. These pieces are then cataloged, given a unique number and issued with a certificate of authenticity which gives a brief background of the Artist and of the piece itself. These rare items have become true art collection pieces and are very much in demand. Customers can select an original work or, if required a custom piece can be designed and commissioned on request. Commissioned pieces do take up to 2 months to complete and the artists do use artistic freedom of expression so no two pieces will ever be alike.

A most rewarding hobby has become a serious business, bringing our unique and totally South African product to our fellow South Africans, and now to the rest of the world. Tourists and collectors from all over the world – USA, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, UK and France have now discovered and are buying these original collectibles.

Intricately crafted by hand, Intu-Art is an Expression of Ethnic creativity capturing the spirit and beauty of Africa in every unique piece. View Collection...

“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few that will catch your heart ….. pursue those.” – quote from a happy customer.